Better Care Faster wants to hear from Ontarians on health care

TORONTO, April 25, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - As Ontario begins to address budget challenges across an array of programs and services, Better Care Faster, a 17-member coalition of concerned organizations, is asking Ontarians to weigh in on the future of their health care.

"Our province is facing some tough choices," said Rob Oliphant, President and CEO of The Asthma Society of Canada. "We need to work together to find the best ways to meet future needs. A good place to start is by asking Ontarians—the people who use the health care system—what they think."

In the coming weeks, Better Care Faster's coalition partners will be reaching out to their members and constituents, and inviting all Ontarians to share their ideas, experiences and concerns through the bettercarefaster.ca website.

"As a province, we need to be talking about more than just how to contain costs," continued Mr. Oliphant. "It's critical that we identify both new and proven ways of providing better health care, faster. Ontarians have a lot to contribute to that conversation."

With a focus on chronic disease prevention and management, the coalition is drawing on its breadth and depth of expertise to identify and share solutions for ensuring access to care, treatments and medicines; getting people to the right level of care in their communities sooner; and implementing proven innovations and technologies.

"Collaboration and innovation are key to making sure Ontario's health care system is ready to meet future demands, which are growing as the incidence of serious chronic disease continues to rise," said Joanne Simons, Executive Director of The Arthritis Society. "The Better Care Faster partnership is here to work together with government and others to find and implement solutions, so Ontarians will have the care they need, when and where they need it."

Better Care Faster is a growing coalition that includes: Alzheimer Society of Ontario, Arthritis Society Ontario, CARP, Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D), Canadian SADS Foundation, CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders), Gastrointestinal Society, Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes, Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, Nurse Practitioners' Association of Ontario, Ontario College of Family Physicians, Ontario Gerontology Association, Ontario Lung Association, Ontario Medical Association, Ontario Pharmacists' Association, and The Asthma Society of Canada.